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Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a fresh round of negotiations with Iranian officials on behalf of the United States, with regional tensions remaining high despite months of diplomatic engagement, as reported by CNN.
During his visit, Naqvi is scheduled to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Separately, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported that Naqvi is carrying a letter from Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has maintained a low public profile since taking office in March. This visit marks Pakistan's continued efforts to position itself as a regional mediator amid tensions between the United States and Iran. Ahead of the visit, Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and briefed him on the planned discussions in Iran. He also updated the prime minister on his recent engagements on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the PMO added, reported by Dawn. "Consultations also took place between the prime minister and the interior minister regarding his upcoming visit to Tehran. The prime minister provided guidance related to the visit," the statement added. The visit takes place amid a regional crisis that erupted on February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out military strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory action from Tehran. The escalation has heightened tensions across West Asia, disrupted trade routes, unsettled energy markets, and sparked fears of wider instability in the region. In April, Islamabad facilitated direct talks between US and Iranian officials, the first such meeting since the onset of the conflict. The discussions, however, concluded without reaching a breakthrough agreement. (ANI)
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